I was shaking, as the phone rang. When it was finally answered, I stopped.

“What do you want Gerard?” she snapped.

“It’s Frank.” I said, slowly, angrily and grinding my teeth.

“Oh. It’s you.” She spat, down the phone.

“This whole hate thing needs to stop, Lyn-Z,” I proposed.

“Really? I was just getting started. I told you this would be hell and that you’d regret this,”

“It’s not just me and Gerard you’re affecting,” my jaw clenched.

“What?” she was surprised, genuinely. Which made me surprised too.

“Mikey. He’s freaking out. He and Alicia had an argument about it, and so Ray has had to leave Christa on her own, to help Mikey,” I stated. The line went quiet, until she spoke again.

“I’m sorry about that, truly, I am, Mikey and Alicia didn’t deserve that,” she said. I knew there was going to be a catch. “But,” There it was. “You and Gerard should suffer for this.”

“It didn’t come out, like we wanted it to, if I could change how you found out, I would Lyn-Z,” I spoke honestly.

“Frank, can I tell you something…” Okay, this was a completely different Lyn-Z than Gerard described to me, earlier in the day. I made a ‘yeah, go on’ kinda noise. “I’m seeing Bob. I have been secretly for a while. He’s here in New Jersey, at the moment. And the reason I reacted so badly to you and Gerard was because I needed a reason to leave Gerard.”

I sat there, gob-smacked. This was something I’d never, ever have expected. My jaw hit the floor, and I sat in silence, until I felt safe to speak.

“You hypocrite!” I yelled, a little.

“I know,” she replied, sheepishly. “I’m sorry.”

“No, this is beyond apologies, you yelled at me and Gerard for cheating, when you were doing it yourself. With one of mine and Gerard’s best friends? That’s just… Outrageous!” My teeth grinded together, again.

“Frank, I’m sorry…”

“I guess, I can forgive you and not tell Gerard. If…” I trailed off, I had a great idea. It was blackmail, but possibly the only way to get her to do it.

“Yes, I’ll do anything,” she was crying.

“Sign the papers, and bring Bandit back,” I said, abruptly.

“Okay, I will. Just please don’t tell anyone about this, not even Gerard,” she was begging me. I was playing it calmly, and fortunately, I was winning.

“I won’t,” and I wouldn’t. If this was the way I was going to get what I wanted, then this was how I was going to have to do it.

“Thank you, so much, good bye, Frank,” she wasn’t scared, afraid or begging me anymore. She was happy. I had her right where I wanted her.

“Goodnight,” I mumbled, as I put the phone down.

I sat on the sofa, thinking about what had just happened. Did it really happen? I pinched myself, just to make sure, and yelped. Nope, definitely reality. I sighed and realised just how tired I was.

Silently, I made my way up the stairs, and when I reached Gerard’s room, I started to take my shirt off and removing my belt. My jeans slipped down pretty quickly and I crept into bed. Gerard semi-woke up and put his arms around me, mumbling things in his sleep. It was so adorable, I started smiling at him.

When I woke up, I had a text from Jamia.

The papers are through, see you later, okay? We’ll take the girls out for ice-cream too :-) x
Finally, the papers had arrived. My new, well semi-new, life could start.

Gerard was still asleep, smiling in his sleep. He was so cute, then he murmured something.

“Oh, I want you so bad, Frankie,”

A sex dream? Hot. I decided to watch him, and it was at that moment, I realised we hadn’t had sex since 2007. No wonder he was dreaming like that. He was touching himself too. I was sat, cross-legged, watching his every move. I leant forward, and rested my head on my hands, with my elbows digging into the mattress.

He woke up unexpectedly; I just smiled and fluttered my eyelids, at him.

“What? What’s going on?” his eyes were opening and closing, so slowly, and he looked like he could fall asleep again. His face was so scrunched up, and he had pillow marks all over the left side of his face, I couldn’t help but giggle at him.

“The papers have come though, so I’m going to spend the afternoon at Jamia’s, okay?” I told him, still giggling to myself, about his dream.

“Yeah, okay,” he yawned.

“So,” he looked at me. “Did you enjoy your dream?” I winked. He looked confused, then looked at his boxers. Then the penny dropped.

“Why, yes I did, Frankie,” he said proudly. I smirked.

“So did I,” I said, smiling, massively. He laughed at me and kissed my lips. “I’m gunna have a shower, I’ll be back in 10.” He nodded, as I got up and left the bed. I couldn’t help but feel like he was staring at my ass, the dirty fucker.

After my shower, I got dressed into my jeans from yesterday and one of Gerard’s shirts, his Misfits one, to be precise.

“Right, I’m off out, it’s 1pm, so I’d best hurry up. Call me if you need me,” I smiled, as I kissed his cheek and left the house.

I got to Jamia’s 10 minutes later. She answered the door with a fake smile on her face.

“Thanks for telling me, the papers were here,” I said, hugging her.

“It’s no problem, I only want you to be happy,” she smiled, this one was more natural.

“Where are my girls?” I asked, peeking through the door, seeing Lily crawl up towards the door, and Cherry falling through the lounge doorway not long after. “Aww, you two,” I grinned. Jamia let me in, and I made my way towards them, picking up Cherry and tickling her.

I put Cherry down in her walker and returned to get Lily. After Eskimo kissing her, and making her laugh, I sat her down in her bouncy chair.

“So where are the papers?”

“Here,” Jamia croaked, handing me an A4 envelope. She swallowed, hard, I heard it. She was scared about this.

“Are you sure you want this?” I asked, looking straight at her. Something was most definitely off.

“Y-yeah…” she lied.

“Oh, c’mon, J, you can’t lie to me. We’ve been together for forever; I read you like a book,” I said, putting my hand under her chin, lifting her head up.

“I know, this is what I want, you to be happy. I just didn’t think this is how it’d end…”she blinked, and tears streamed from her eyes.

She leaned in, a little bit. I knew where this was going, but stupidly, I did the same. Our lips met, this was going to be the last time we’d kiss, and I even started to cry. Everything around me disappeared, sound and presence.

When she pulled away, I caught someone out the corner of my eye. Someone pale, with bright red hair.